W.I v Zim: First Test Report Card
Sun, Nov 9, '03
If this was a prizefight, the West Indies would be cast in the role of the faded ex-champ. Sporting lots of experience, but jaded and dreaming of the days of long gone glory and devastating four prongs, while suffering humiliation after humiliation. Zimbabwe would be the younger never-was hoping to make its reputation against a supposedly ex-champ!
In a battle of the minnows, and regardless of the West Indies gaudy record of the 80's, we now find ourselves in the position of minnows of test cricket. The West Indies refused to do the basics and almost paid a heavy price.
Had Zimbabwe pushed harder for a declaration, the outcome of this game could have been much different, as the West Indies in five days of indifferent cricket, did nothing to remotely suggest that they knew they were in a test match or that they wanted to reverse their dismal overseas record.
As it were, they won maybe the first session on day one and until the last desperate partnership, in the first by the four fast bowlers, and in the second, between Ridley Jacobs and Fidel Edwards, did not show much of a stomach for the fight that playing cricket at this level demands.
CHRIS GAYLE
Obviously struggling to find his touch, Gayle batted with extreme caution in the first innings, but then got bogged down against the extra movement that Heath Streak was able to extract out of the pitch. In the second, he threw his wicket away chasing a wide delivery from the ebullient Raymond Price. Gayle continues to show the troubling tendency of not being able to turn over the strike when batting, and this creates undue pressure on the openers. Bowled a tidy 19.2 overs in the first innings when the West Indies drifted after their early success. He took a blinder of a catch to dismiss Andy Blignaut nine short of his first test century.
GRADE: F
WAVELL HINDS
Hinds lived dangerously in the first innings, riding his luck with aerial shots down the ground. Maybe this was a holdover from the Red Stripe Bowl when the field preparation left a lot to be desired. Having made 79, he should have tightened his game and scored the hundred that was there for the taking. However, at this level there is absolutely no excuse for the way Hinds batted. Hinds did a good job with the ball and managed to dislodge Wishart in the first when he was well set on 47. Hinds was considered lucky by many to retain his place in the team and more performances like this will not do much to enhance his cause.
GRADE: Grade C-
DAREN GANGA
Four years after his test career started on this same continent, the long persistence with Ganga seems to be finally bearing fruit. Played the type of innings required of the West Indian batsmen. He was calm, assured, positive and looked solid as the proverbial rock until one rolled back on his stumps. It was unfortunate that he did not get the three figure score that he richly deserved. However, as good as he was in the first, he did not or could not reproduce the same touch in the second, managing to get himself bowled by the rampant Price, playing across the line.
GRADE: Grade B-
BRIAN LARA
As the Captain, Lara has to take much of the blame for the showing of his team. In the first his batting was nothing short of irresponsible and not befitting of someone of his experience and class. After explaining in the Trinidad Guardian that the team plan was to bat for two days, Lara himself went out there and worked against his own plan.
This is a young team and Lara must lead by example. His display in the first was anything but leadership. He was given out in the second in what was a disputed LBW decision. However, given the fact that Streak is known to move the ball through the air and off the wicket in both directions, "shouldering arms" will always be a risky decision. According to Tony Cozier, who knows of these things, Lara's field placing in the first left a lot to be desired, especially when Blignaut counter-attacked in the Zimbabwean first innings, wrote Cozier, "The onslaught seemed to send Brian Lara into shock. He immediately spread fielders far and wide to positions not generally found in any guide to captaincy." West Indian fans hope that Lara gets his act together with both the bat and in the captaincy department if this campaign is not to become another disaster.
GRADE: F
RAMNARESH SARWAN
Sarwan continued to struggle for form, but did not help his cause when, with the West Indies battling to save the game, gave Price the charge only to be deftly stumped when the ball passed between bat and pad. This will again raise questions about Sarwan's mental approach to the game, and his penchant for inexplicably throwing his wicket away when set, or seemingly on top of the bowling. As one of the leading batsmen on the team, Sarwan will have to have a long conversation with himself ahead of the second Test.
GRADE: F
SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL
Arguably, along with Ridley Jacobs, he represents the "heart and soul" of the West Indian batting line up. Chanders battled gamely with the tail to help save West Indies from following on in the first innings. In the second, he again played sensibly until fooled by the impressive Price. In my opinion, Chanderpaul should be promoted in the batting order so that his level headed batting and experience could better benefit a psychologically fragile and unstable batting line-up.
GRADE: C+
RIDLEY JACOBS
The doughty warrior continues to soldier on manfully for the West Indies. He represents the fighting spirit and never say die attitude of the West Indian team of the 1980's. Even though many have called for him to give way to his understudy Carlton Baugh, Jacobs continues to defy his critics with level headed performances, and time and again, as in this match, has spared the West Indies serious embarrassment. His undefeated half-century was worth its weight in gold, showing great character against a rampant Blignaut who did his best to unsettle him. Behind the stumps, his wicket-keeping while never spectacular continues to be solid.
GRADE: A
VASBERT DRAKES
Reportedly out of gas and on his last legs at the end of the season in the Caribbean. Drakes showed yet again that there is no substitute for experience and hard work. In the first innings when the West Indies were a bowler short, Drakes toiled manfully sending down 34 overs for 85 runs. He did not take many wickets, but that type of spell was sorely needed at that time, managing to slow up the Zimbabweans.
In the second innings he was the leading wicket taker, and shared in a very important partnership with Chanderpaul to save his team the ignominy of following on. As the West Indies brain thrust continues to lean towards picking younger and younger players, they should look at players like Drakes who is a prime example for keeping a few chosen older, more seasoned players who can be depended on in a crisis.
GRADE: B
JEROME TAYLOR
Taylor was only able to bowl 9.4 overs until he was sidelined by back trouble. Hopefully the West Indies authorities will see it fit to pull him out of the rest of the tour and ensure that he is indeed alright. He played his part well in the rearguard fight in the first innings to save the follow on.
GRADE: Incomplete
COREY COLLYMORE
Collymore seems to have lost form a bit after his heroics against Sri Lanka. However, he is a fighter and should battle his way back to form sooner rather than later. Had some problems in the field and needs to work on his fielding. In the second his bowling improved somewhat but still left a lot to be desired.
GRADE: C-
FIDEL EDWARDS
Is Fidel Edwards for real? That must be the question on everyone's lips. A late find against Sri Lanka, Edwards has now taken back-to-back five wicket hauls in both Test matches that he's played. Contrast that with his one, yes one, first class match before being plucked from obscurity by Brian Lara. Not only did Edwards bowl with fire and enthusiasm that is sorely lacking from West Indian bowling attacks of late, but he successfully negotiated eleven plus overs to stymie the Zimbabweans press for the win on the last afternoon. Barring injury Edwards could turn out to be the find of the decade if he continues in this vein.
GRADE: A